CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE TAN SRI HASMY AGAM Chairman The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Since its inception in 1999, the Commission has submitted its Annual Report without fail to Parliament, in accordance with its mandate enshrined under section 12 of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 (Act 597). This is the 13th Annual Report, providing a record of the Commission’s activities and actions, as well as its recommendations in respect of issues that require the attention of the Government, among other actors. In spearheading the expansion of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights over the year, the Commission kept close watch on the human rights impact of the Government’s law reforms; the exercise of freedom of assembly; and conditions in places of detention. Additionally, it worked to widen the rights of vulnerable groups such as children, women, older persons, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, migrant workers, refugees, asylum seekers and detainees. The Commission accepted 624 complaints, of which 403 cases fell under its jurisdiction. It resolved 173 cases and is following up on the remaining 230. The complaints were mainly on deaths in police custody; arrests and detention; rights of workers and migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers; harassment of human rights defenders, the Murum dam; right to education or conduct of school administration; and campus elections. The Commission discharged its monitoring duties by conducting 30 periodic visits to immigration detention centres, prisons and police lock-ups to monitor conditions and the situation of detainees and prisoners, as well as the personnel in charge. The Commission remains especially concerned about the well-being of children in immigration detention centres, in particular their access to informal education and the period of detention. 1